Method of forming plates or blanks of varying widths.



No. 679,759. Pa tentedAug." 6, won.

. J. LANZ. METHOD OF FORMING PLATES 0R BLANKSOF VABYING WIDTHS.

(Application filed May 8, 1901.)

(No Model.)

car bolsters, beams, braces, and similar shapes UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LANZ, on PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF FORMING PLATES 0R BLANKS OF VARYING WIDTHS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,759, dated August 6, 1901.

Application filed May 3, 1901. Serial No. 58,671. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN'LANZ, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new.

and useful Improvement in Methods of Forming Plates or Blanks of Varying Widths; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a method of making plates or blanks of varying widths, and more especially to making such plates or blanks and forming them into car sills, bolsters, beams, columns, braces, and like articles.

The object of my invention is to provide a method whereby plates or bars of this character and articles formed therefrom may be made quickly and cheaply and without the waste of met-a1 which occurs in making such articles under the old methods.

Inthe manufacture of sills for steel'cars,

which'are made from plate metal and which are wider at some points of their length than at others the usual custom is to cut a blank for such article from suitable bar or plate metal and then bend or press the blank to form the desired article. In cutting such blank from plate metal a great deal of waste occurs, due to the parts which are trimmed away to form the narrower portions of the article. It is the object of my invention to provide a method of producing plates or blanks for such articles whereby this waste of metal is dispensed with.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a billet or bloom from which the plate or blank is formed. Fig. 2 illustrates the same after the first or bending step. Fig. 3 is a perspective View, and'Fig. 4 a plan and edge View, of the same after having been reduced in thickness and increased in width. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same after having been further reduced in thickness andincreased in length. Fig. 6 represents a car-sill or similar device formed from the plate shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a billet or bloom which is to be reduced in a slightly-modified manner. Fig. 8 is a plan and edge View of the same after having been reduced in thickness and increased in width. Fig. 9 is a similar view of the same aft-er having been rolled longitudinally, and Fig. v1O is a view of a car-bolster or similar article made therefrom.

In carrying out my method I start with a billet or bloom of suitable dimensions for making the desired article, such billet or bloom being shown at 1, Fig. 1, and after suitably heatingth'e same I bend it by any suitable apparatusin one or more places, as necessary, one such bend being shown in Fig. 2, where the bodyof-the billet or bloom is bent to one side, as at 2, in order that after the same is reduced the metal at the portion 2 will lie on one side of the main body of the blank. This bent blank of bloom is then subjected to pressure on the sides 3 and at, which pressure will be applied either by suitable rolls or in a suitable press, provision in the latter case being made to prevent the .flowof the metal endwise'in the bloom or billet, so that the flow will be entirely sidewise. The dies of such press will be shaped so that thebillet or bloom will be reduced the most at its middle por- 'tionas, for instance, at 5-thereby causing the metal at this portion to flow sidewise to i 'a greatere'xtent than at the ends 6, whereby a blank is produced such as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. If rolls are used for this step,

they will be formed with swells or enlargements at the proper places on their surfaces or will be otherwise suitably shaped, and the blank will be entered into the rolls either'with the edge 7 or 8 in front, so that pressure is applied by the rolls on the sides 3 and 4, and the greatest reduction is made at the middle portion 5 of the billet or bloom. In these rolls the metal will be caused to flow sidewise, there being practically no end flow of the metal in the blank, as will be readily understood, so that the blank willbe reduced to the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In either event the thinning of the metal along the middle of the blank will cause the same to flow out beyond the edges of the end portions;

but inasmuch as the blank or billet was previously bent the flow of the metal at the middle portion will result in the swell or 'protuberance 10 being almost entirely on one edge of the blank, as shown, the concave portion on the opposite edge of the original bloom 'or billet compensating for the flow of the metal in that direction, so that that edge of the blank will be practically straight, as shown at 11,although there may be a slight swelling out of the metal'at this portion, as indicated by dotted lines at 12.

The preliminary bending of the blank, as

shown in Fig. 2, followed side pressure,

which reduces the same most at the bent portion of the blank, results. in the widening of end portions which are comparatively thickand a wider intermediate portion which'pro jects almost entirely at one edge of the blank and being thinnest at the portion where it is widest. This blank may be pressed edge wise to give it the desired edge contour, if necessary, and is then rolled longitudinally or endwise through suitable plain-faced rolls and given one or more passes, as necessary, to reduce the same to the desired thickness and length. 'This longitudinal rolling of the blank causes a reduction of the blank to a uniform thickness from end to end, and, as is well known, in rolling metal the flow of the metal will be entirely lengthwise, practically no side fiow occurring, and the elongation will necessarily be the greatest where the reduction of the blank is the greatestthat is, where the blank shown in Fig. 4 is the thickestnamely, at the ends thereof. The result of this longitudinal rolling is a plate such as shown in Fig. 5, which plate is of varying width, being narrowest at the ends 13 and then gradually widening toward the middle, as at 1 t. The plate in this form may be sheared, if necessary or desired, to remove the ragged edges or surplus, it any, and to make the upper edge practically straight that is, by shearing oif the protuberance, (indicated at 12, Fig. 4,) if there is any, although for most purposes such protuberance may not be detrimental. The plate shown in Fig. 5 is adapted for making a metal car-sill, and the latter is formed from such plate by bending or pressing the upper and lower edges at right angles to the body, as shown at 15 and 16, thereby forming substantially a channel of Varying widths. the dimensions and shape of the plate or blank and bending or pressing the same to form a channel my method is adapted for forming car bolsters, beams, and various other articles. In case the article has two or more portions of greater width than the re mainder then the original billet or bloom will be bent at two or more points instead of at one point, as shown in Fig. 2, and the sidewise rolls or dies will be so constructed and will be so applied as to reduce the thickness of the blank the most at these two or more points, whereby a blank will be formed having two or more protuberances 1-0 instead of the one shown in Fig. 4. Such blank when rolled longitudinally will form a plate of uniform thickness, but of varying width longitudinally and being wider at two or more points of its length, as will be readily understood. The preliminary bend 2 of the billet may be of such a degree that the finished plate or blank will have a general curved By simply changing form-that is, with one concave and one convex edge.

In Figs. 7 to 10 I have illustrated a method of making these articles whereby a plate or blank suitable for two articles is formed. The billet or bloom 1 is not given a preliminary bend, as shown in Fig. 2, but is reduced by side compression either in a press or by suitable rolls to the blank shown in Fig. 8, wherein the end portions 18 are left thick or narrow, while the middle portion at 19 is reducedin thickness, but increased in width to form the swells or protuberances 2O 20 at both sides ofthe blank. This blank is then rolled longitudinally and reduced to a uni.-

, form thickness, the flow being almost entirely longitudinal, as before described,thereby producing the plate shown in Fig.9, in which the swells or protuberances project on both edges. This plate is then sheared longitudinally along the middle portion, as shown at 21, thereby forming two plates, whose edges are then bent or pressed at right angles to form the channel beam or bolster shown in Fig. 10.

It will be observed that in the formation of the article there is practically no waste of the metal, except perhaps such as may be due to the slight trimming off of the edges to give a desired contour. The main body of the plate is formed so that it has substantially the varying widths required by the finished article, so that no trimming away of the portion of the plate which is to form the narrower part of the article is required. Any amount of variation in width of the plate as is required can be secured by suitably reducing the thickness of the difierent portions of the original billet or bloom, thereby producing the required amount of side flow in the thinner portions of the blank in order to give the desired width in the finished article, this reduction and side flow being secured by suitably-shaped dies or rolls and by continuing such side pressure or rolling as long as necessary in order to produce the desired varia tion in' width of the blank.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improvement in the art of forming metal blanks of varying widths longitudinally, which consists in bending a heated metal billet or bloom at one or more points, then subjecting the same to pressure applied sidewise thereto in such a manner as to eflect simultaneously varying degrees of side flow and prevent end flow of the metal,.and thereby produce depressions or tapers in the sides of the blank and a corresponding protuberance, swell or taper in the edge thereof, and then subjecting said blank to a rolling pres sure applied longitudinally and progressively from end to end, whereby the blank is elongated without materially changing its width or the contour of its edges.

2. The improvement in the art of forming metal blanks of varying widths longitudinally, which consists in bending a heated metal billet or bloom at one or more points, then subjecting the same to a rolling pressure applied one or more times sidewise to said billet or bloom in such a manner as to effect simultaneously varying degrees of side flow, the side fio-w being greatest at the point or points where the billet or bloom was bent, and thereby producing depressions or tapers in the sides of the blank and a corresponding protuberance, swell or taper in one edge thereof, and then subjecting said blank to a rolling pressure applied longitudinally and progressively from end to end, whereby the blank is elongated without materially changing its width and the contour of its edges.

3. The improvement in the art of forming metal articles of varying widths longitudinally, which consists in subjecting a heated metal billet or bloom to pressure applied sidewise to the same in such a manner as to effect simultaneously varying degrees of side flow and prevent end flow of the metal, and thereby produce depressions or tapers in the sides of the blank and corresponding protuberances, swells or tapers in the edge or edges thereof, then subjecting said blank to a rolling pressure applied longitudinally and progressively from end to end whereby the blank is elongated without materially changing its width or the contour of its edges, and then bending or pressing the edges of said plate at an angle to the body thereof.

4. The improvement in the art of forming metal articles of varying widths longitudinally, which consists in subjecting a heated billet or bloom to pressure applied sidewise to the same in such a manner as to effect simultaneously varying degrees of side flow and prevent end flow of the metal, and thereby produce depressions or tapers in the sides of the blank and corresponding protuberances, swells or tapers in the edge or edges thereof, then subjecting said blank to a rolling pressure applied longitudinally and progressively from end to end, whereby the blank is elongated without materially changing its width or the contour of its edges, shearing said plate to the desired size and contour, and then bending or pressing the longitudinal edges thereof at an angle to the body.

5. The improvement in the art of forming metal articles of varying widths longitudinally, which consists in bending a heated metal billet or bloom edgewise at one or more points, subjecting the same to pressure applied sidewise thereto in such a manner as to efiect simultaneously varying degrees of side flow and prevent end flow of the metal, the side flow being greatest at the points where the billet or bloom was bent, and thereby producing depressions or tapers in the sides of the blank and a corresponding protuberance, swell or taper in bent convex portion of blank,

then subjecting said blank to a rolling pressure applied longitudinally and progressively from end to end whereby the blank is elongated without materially changing its width or the contour of its edges, and then pressing 0r bending the longitudinal edges of said plate at an angle to the body thereof.

6. The improvement in the art of forming metal blanks of varying widths longitudinally, which consists in bending a heated metal billet or bloom at one or more points, then subjecting the same to pressure applied sidewise thereto in such a manner as to effect simultaneously varying degrees of side flow and prevent end flow of the metal, and thereby produce depressions or tapers in the sides of the blank and a corresponding protuberance, swell or taper in the edge thereof, pressing the same edgewise to give the desired edge contour thereto, and then subjecting said blank to a rolling pressure applied longitudinally and progressively from end to end, whereby the blank is elongated without materially changing its width or the contour of its edges.

7. The improvement in the art of forming metal blanks or articles of varying dimensions longitudinally, which consists in subjectin g a heated bloom, billet or blank to pres sure applied sidewise to the same in such a manner as to effect simultaneously varying degrees of side flow and prevent end flow of the metal, and thereby produce a depression or taper in a side of the blank and a corresponding protuberance, swell or taper in the free side or sides thereof, then subjecting said blank to a rolling pressure applied longitudinally and progressively from end to end, whereby the blank is elongated without materially changing its width or the contour of its edges, and then cutting or shearing said blank or plate to the desired size and contour.

8. The improvement in the art of forming metal blanks or articles of varying dimensions longitudinally, which consists in subjecting a heated bloom, billet or blank to pres sure applied sidewise to the same in such a manner as to effect simultaneously varying degrees of side flow and prevent end flow of the metal, and thereby produce a depression or taper in a side of the blank and a corresponding protuberance, swell or taper in the free side or sides thereof, then subjecting said blank to a rolling pressure applied longitudinally and progressively from end to end,

whereby the blank is elongated without materially changing its width or the contour of its edges, and then hanging or bending the said blank or plate to form the desired article. In testimony whereof I,the said JOHN LANZ, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN LANZ.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. TOTTEN, F. W. WINTER.

ICC 

